Artifical Life
by B.M. Hobbs
Summary: Humans can no longer have children with each other. With the development (by a pervy scientist) of androids being able to have children throught synthetic sperm and eggs, humans can once again give birth. A serial killer is killing human relationships, and Gavin and Nina are on the case!
1. Chapter 1

Life after the Revolution went from shitty to hell for Gavin Reed in a matter of months. First that little bitch Constance, or as everyone was now calling her, 'Connie', was a permanent fixture in the DPD, and watching Anderson fawn over her was sickening. It was a few days after that some terrorist group made a worldwide message that the androids were the gods of the future and all humans were the peasants, stating that they would make sure that only androids would survive in the future.

A month later, the entire human race became infertile.

Not that Gavin really cared; he didn't really want children. His own father wasn't around, so he didn't know what a good father should be, and, right now, his career was his only relationship. Well, he did have a cat, a beautiful calico he'd named Cancer, because the damned beast took over his entire life.

About four months after that shitshow of a revelation, some German perverted scientist developed 'synthetic' eggs and sperm for androids and it was discovered that they could now have children with humans and vise versa. In that time, Gavin had stopped hating androids. Don't get him wrong, he still didn't like them, but he would at least treat them right... You know, after three disciplinary warnings and a write up.

"REED!" Fowler's voice thundered through the precinct and through Gavin's musings. "DON'T YOU FUCKING IGNORE ME! GET YOUR ASS IN MY OFFICE! NOW!"

Well, shit. Gavin's day was going to get worse; he could just feel it. As soon as he entered the glass office, he knew it was going to be a hell of a lot worse. "You wanted to see me, Captain?"

"Reed, this is Corina, an RK900. She will be your new partner." Fowler held up his hand, cutting off what would have been a shouting match leading to yet another disciplinary warning, an said, "You don't have a choice; the Police Commissioner ordered it. PC Peralta thinks this would benefit both the DPD and Detroit as a whole."

The Detective glanced at the regal looking android sitting primly in the chair to his right. "All due respect, but Gina Peralta can shove it up her—!"

"With all due respect, Detective Reed," the android next to him stood, straightening her blouse, "I would not finish that sentence."

"Yeah, sure," Gavin smirked. "Look, I don't need a partner!"

"Well, the Commissioner disagrees. While your numbers are fantastic, you haven't had a partner in over three years! That puts not only you, but this entire precinct in danger! And I agree with her pairing you with Corina! Now, shut up and sit down. I have a case for you both."

Grumbling, Gavin took the file from Fowler, scowling as he looked over the gathered information. "A serial killer?"

"Yes. It seems the victims are all people still in same 'species' relationships." The captains rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So far, there have been four murders in as little as 2 days. So, either we're looking at a highly active killer—"

"Or a group." Gavin finished. This was going to be a whopper of a case, and he was sure that he was going to need more than a hunky of plastic. "Is there going to be a taskforce?"

"No, but you will have Anderson and Connie."

Gavin ran his hand down his face with a sigh. "Fine."

"Now get out of my office and process the crime scenes."

* * *

He had to say it; he was impressed. Corina, or has he had snidely started calling her, 'Nina', was actually very thorough. As soon as they arrived, she began rattling off observations. "The door was opened, so the couple likely new the killer. Aside from their fingerprints, there are only those from what appears to be family and possible friends. I sent a list of the matches to your phone, Detective."

"Sure." Gavin had squatted next to the woman, Regina Blanchard, studying the lasherations on her neck. "The killed strangled her, watching the life drain from her face." He cocked his head, trying to get himself into the mindset of the killer. "He could have been angry at someone who looked like her. Or maybe his own wife left him to seek out an android partner?"

"The latter is more plausible for motive." Nina walked back to Gavin, her two inch heels clacking on the terracotta tiles of the kitchen. "The backdoor was kicked out, no other signs of forced entry or a struggle. It seems the husband, Richard Blanchard, was stabbed multiple times in the neck, severing the carotid artery completely. He bled out in a matter of minutes."

The detective shivered. "That takes quite a bit of speed to attack someone who was a parkour expert."

"What if the killer had the element of surprise?" The android was looking at the front door, her eyes following some program. "If the killer was a friend, the victim wouldn't expect him to attack. Mrs. Blanchard was in the other room, setting the table to dinner, and likely came into the kitchen after she heard her husband fall." She turned to the dead woman, her grayish-blue eyes flashing. "From here, she was attacked by the killer. From the bruising on her neck and the angle of the wounds on Mr. Blanchard's neck, we can assume the killer is between five foot eleven to six foot three."

"Did he leave any DNA?"

She shook her head, her long chocolate braid swaying with the movement. "None that I could find with my scanners."

"He must have been wearing gloves and a hat." Gavin stood, surveying the rest of the kitchen. "Do you know what it was that stabbed him?"

"It seems to be either an ice pick or a Phillips head screwdriver. The killer slashed as he stabbed," she said, demonstrating what she meant, "mangling the wound and the weapon pattern."

"He knows what he's doing…" Gavin sighed, peeling the latex gloves off his hands. "Let's head back to the Precinct. We need to talk to Anderson and your sister."

"RK800 is not my sister, Detective."

"No? You are both RK models, and you look ever so much alike. In my book, that's a sibling."

For a moment, the clacking of her heels stopped. "You aren't as bad as I was made out to believe, Detective."

"Just stopped caring. They say deviants are people, cool. Don't expect me to like you though, Nina."

"I know you are bilingual and think calling me 'girl' is rude, but I quite like it, _anciano._"

* * *

_**A/N: 'Anciano' means 'old man' **_


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Sorry for the gap between updates! My health, both physical and mental, have taken a dive. Love you all!_**

* * *

"Corina, Reed." Hank greeted them as they arrived back at the precinct. "We got another one."

"Fresh?" Gavin pivoted, nearly crashing into the female android.

"Nope. Ben said they'd been dead at least 48 hours."

"That is still relatively close to the latest victims." Nina said. "I believe the killer is 'stepping up his game', to put it in the vernacular."

"Who says 'in the vernacular'?" Gavin scoffed. "You sure you're a deviant?"

"Reed!" Hank bellowed, his large hand slamming down on his shoulder. "Can you be any ruder?!"

"Actually, Hank, I believe he can." Nina breezed passed them without a look back. "We should head to the crime scene, gentlemen. Connie is already in the driver's seat."

The ride was uneventful, if you don't count the heavy metal blaring through the speakers, hindering any conversations. Connie was a perfect driver and it set Gavin's teeth on edge. He hated that deviants still acted machine like. Though, to Connie's credit, she was more human now that ever.

When they entered the crime scene, even Nina looked green. Blood was covering nearly every surface in the room, coating the floor, soaked into the furniture. Body parts were strewn across the living room and kitchen.

"There are children here…" Nina whispered, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "There was so much pain…" Gavin watched tears streak down her cheeks, her face sad and tight. "This was a family. They were probably working on their children's homework together. The father, Mr. Craig MacMillian," she pointed to the larger torso near the sectional, "died first, likely because he opened the door to the killer."

"Dr. Bethany MacMillian herded the two children out of the room, to the bathroom and was incapacitated. The killer dragged the children out and forced their mother to watch while he murdered them." Connie sounded strained, her voice thick and strangled.

"So he killed Dr. MacMillian last?" Gavin balled his fist, trying to keep from vomiting. Only a monster could force a mother to watch her children die.

"Yes." Nina breathed. Her head was bowed, her body trembling.

"How did they die?"

Connie answered. "They were torn apart. They would have died from blood loss fairly quickly, but they were in pain."

"Dear lord," Hank paled and staggered. Gavin shot forward and led him out of the house.

"Rest here, old man." There was no bite to the remark, but it had the desired effect.

"I'm not old, shithead…. Thanks, kid."

Gavin reentered the house, his heart heavy. "How old were the kids, Nina?" His voice was soft, his own heart crying out at the atrocity of the crime. While he was an asshole, he loved kids: he had young nieces and nephews that he adored. He was 'Tio Gav' and he loved it.

"The oldest, Lindsey, would have been 13 next month. James was just 3." Her voice broke at the little boy's age.

"Are you ok?" Gavin rested her hand on her arm. "Did you know them?"

Her head shook in answer. "No, I'm not ok. I love children. I volunteer at the New Jericho when I can and play with the children there. They're so bright and inquizitive… the human children especially. They like to play with my hair."

"Oh." He didn't know Jericho took in human children.

She sniffed as she quickly added, "Markus and his father, Carl Manfred, they took in orphans with no where else to go."

He nodded, unsure what else to say. "Connie, do we know who called this in?"

"No. The caller was anonymous and they used a voice scrambler. There is no DNA evidence, either."

"Ok. Let's… head back, I guess. Let CSU get the bodies. We need to decompress from this."

* * *

That night, Gavin couldn't sleep. His mind kept straying back to the crime scene… but one thing was bothering him. When they were at the scene, there were body parts everywhere, be he never saw the heads.

He grabbed his phone and called the overnight officers. "Hey, Ryan."

"Detective Reed, how can I help you tonight?"

"I was wondering if you could look up a case for me. Something about the crime scene today is nagging at me."

"Sure, the Anthropoid Killer, correct? Let's see… Well, here's something. The heads were never recovered, but blood trails did lead to the back alley behind the home and then ended. There were any tire treads though, so we're stumped."

"When they questioned the neighbors why didn't anyone hear the screams?" Gavin sat up, crossing his legs. "You'd think _someone_ would hear screaming from four victims literally being torn limb from limb."

"Well, the neighborhood is populated with more elderly than any other demographic. So, it's entirely possible that they just didn't hear because they couldn't."

"Hmmm…" Gavin's mind started racing, thinking about the case and the very sudden and dramatic escalation. "Thanks, Ryan. Make sure to drink your 'coffee'."

The android laughed. "For sure, Gav. Thanks, man. Get some sleep, my dude."

Ryan was one of the few androids Gavin had actually befriended. When Gavin first met him, he gave Gavin snark right back, toe to toe. It was refreshing and they were quick friends. Like he said, he stopped being an asshole to _all_ androids.

"Sure, sure." He hung up, a smile on his face. Why would the perp take the heads? Are they trophies? And why was there a lack of tire tracks? Maybe he used a drone. But again, why?

* * *

Gavin woke with a start when his neighbor screamed. He grabbed his gun and rushed out, swinging his front door open. "What's going-?!" He was cut off as he tripped over something in front of his apartment door, the thing rolling with his momentum. Leaning against the wall opposite his front door, he looked at what tripped him up and his legs gave out: it was the heads of Lindsey and James MacMillian.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: So, **_**_I found out I'm going blind due to something called 'pseudotumor cerebri', so yay me. -.- I'll try to update as often as I can, but I'm in a lot of pain because of this, so updates might be sporadic. _**

* * *

He was still sat there, shaking and staring at the sight of the MacMillian children's heads, when Nina showed up. Their faces were locked with rigor mortis, their terror etched into their face and his brain. He could almost hear their screams...

"Gavin, CSU is here." Her voice was gentle but it still made him jump. "Captain wants to speak to you." She led him back into the apartment and onto his couch, where Cancer immediately jumped in his lap, purring loudly. Nina handed him his phone, and, on autopilot, he held it to his ear.

"Reed, you there?"

"Y-yeah." Gavin's voice cracked, sounding strained and rough.

"Pack a bag, kid. You need to stay elsewhere. Our killer or killers know where you live. Do you have somewhere to go?"

Gavin sat, numb, unable to answer. He didn't really. He would normally say Chen, but she just got married and her wife was allergic to cats. "He can stay with me, Captain."

"Are you sure, Corina?" Captain Fowler didn't sound like he thought this arrangement was a good idea.

"Of course, sir. I wouldn't have offered, otherwise."

"Alright. Reed?" The Detective hadn't even protested.

"He seems to be in shock, Captain. I think this affected him more than we thought it would."

He didn't know how, but he was dressed, packed and his cat in her carrier, with Nina packing the food and liter. He followed the android out of his apartment, still on autopilot, out to a taxi and climbed in. He wasn't sure he would ever forget the sight of the children's heads.

"He escalated." Nina's voice was small, completely unlike her normal cold, emotionless demeanor from before. "Why your apartment?"

Gavin simply shook his head, his own thoughts jumbled and racing. She wasn't wrong; he was in shock. It was one thing to see dead bodies, even those of children but that… Not only having seen what the killer had done to their bodies, but their parents and the pain he knew they suffered… It got to him. It didn't help his own niece and nephew were around the same age and he just kept picturing them instead of the MacMillians.

Before he knew it, the were pulling in front of a cottage-esqe home in the New Jericho part of Bell Island, with dark wood and light stone accents. There was a colorful garden out front, flowers in full bloom. It was a two story beauty, something that Gavin was sure his mother would have loved before she fucked her life and her kids up. His sister would love it though, for sure.

Nina's home was nice; relatively big, spacious and open, with bright, warm colors on the walls. "I know that you need to eat, so I'll ask Simon to order some groceries for you." She ushered Gavin in, showing him to a rather modest guest room. "Cancer can have her run of the place, though, I shall have to come up with a nickname for her…" She trailed off when Gavin sighed. "I'll leave you to it, then."

"Hey. Uh, thanks."

"Of course," she smiled, stooping to let the meowing cat from her cage. "Make yourself at home, Gavin. And let me know if you need anything." With that, she turned and left the room.

* * *

He tried, he really did, but sleep seemed so far out of reach, it wasn't funny. He rolled over and looked at his dimmed phone screen, and groaned. It was 2200, and he needed to be up in 6 hours. Sitting up, he decided he might as well grab some water before trying to go back to sleep.

Stepping out of the room, he heard the sound of the TV and quiet cooing. "Nina?"

"Gavin?" Her voice was quiet, but surprised. "I thought you went to bed?"

"Couldn't sleep." Looking over her shoulder, he tilted his head in confusion. "Is that a baby?"

"Sometimes after a hard case, I like to cuddle the infants."

"You guys take in human infants?"

"Why not?" She looked down at the sleeping baby, her smile gentle. "They need to be cared for and some of the androids need something to care for. If it works, why change it?"

"Wouldn't have pegged you to like kids, to be honest. I mean, I know you said you played with the kids here, but to bring them to your place…" He trailed off as his cat jumped up on Nina's shoulders and draped herself around her neck.

"It's nice to feel needed for something other than work. It makes me feel warm." She stroked a finger down the baby's cheek. "Besides, their innate curiosity fascinate me." She looked at him. "I've heard that children can quiet the mind… Would you like to hold him?"

He almost declined, but, remembering holding his infant nieces and nephews and cousins had him nodding. "What's his name?"

"Richard." She smiled. "He's a quiet one, doesn't fuss much, eats well and sleeps through the night."

A small grunt from the baby had Gavin looking down and he smiled as the boy's tongue poked out of his lips. "Tell anyone about this and I will deny it and I will kill you."

She hummed noncommittally, her smile gentle and soft. "Sure, sure. Don't want to ruin your street cred."

"Why don't you act like this at work?"

"You mean like a deviant?" She laughed once without humor. "I tried during training with SWAT and was belittled by Allen. Told me I wasn't being professional."

"Dude's got the biggest stick up his ass I've ever seen." Gavin rolled his eyes, reclining back into the couch cushions. "He doesn't like me 'cuz I don't give two fucks."

"I've noticed." She smirked, reaching up to scratch behind Cancer's ears making her purr loudly. "It's refreshing, actually."

"To be treated like shit?" He raised an eyebrow as he adjusted Richard on his chest so the baby was on his tummy, head over his heart.

"You treat everyone the same, so you aren't giving me special treatment."

He nodded, his eyes drooping. "Yeah, fuck that shit."

* * *

He awoke without Richard on his chest, on his side, and a blanket over him. Cancer was curled up in the crook of his knees, warm and comforting. Nina wasn't insight, but that didn't really bother him. He wasn't all to sure he could face her after that bonding shit last night.

Getting up, he dressed and grabbed his badge and gun, finishing his morning routine as Nina walked in the door with coffee and a paper bag. "I see you're up already. I have breakfast for you."

"Thanks, I guess. I don't usually eat in the morning though." Nevertheless, he took the offerings and peered in the bag, grinning at the contents. "But, you can never go wrong with a donut."

"I was informed by Hank that Krispy Creme is the best." As she said this, Gavin took a huge bite out of the warm pastry with a groan of appreciation.

"Phk yah," he said around the mouthful. Gavin swallowed, putting his coffee down, and pulling out his phone out of his pocket when it chimed. "Fucking shit; we got another fucking crime scene."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter will be short, but I will be updating the next chapter right after this one!**

* * *

"Maybe there's two of them?" Gavin heard Hank and Connor speculate as he and Nina walked up to the scene. "That would explain why the scenes are different in style and violence."

"What do you mean?" Gavin groused, his arms crossed. "Why would there be two?"

"Well," Nina surveyed the victims. "The level of violence matches the first crime scene: the male, Larry Correno, was stabbed once in the jugular and his wife, Belinda, was strangled." She turned back to Gavin, her eyes narrowed in thought. "Looking at the photos CSU took, the MO matches. The second killing was much more violent, indicating there is a partner, or the killers' relationship is that of a mentor and mentee."

Gavin nodded, his arms still crossed. "Well, if that's the case, then many of the officers on the force are in danger."

Hank stilled as Gavin's meaning sank in. "You're right, but they haven't gone after the officers yet. Maybe they are scared to attack someone in a law enforcement position?"

"Or there is still room for the perp to escalate." Connie said, her voice subdued. "We need to bring this thought to Captian Fowler."

Nina turned to Gavin. "You should call your parents."

"Why the fuck should I call them?!" Gavin hissed. "They cut me off as a teen, when I wanted to be a cop rather than a fucking inventor like my fucking perfect brother. They can fuck off."

"They are also in danger, Gav-"

"I don't really care. They didn't give a shit about me when I was attacked by the neighbors android at 16 years old, nor when I was almost killed on the job a few years ago. They certainly didn't give two flying fucks when the Revolution hit." Without another word, he tured around and left the scene, ignoring Nina's calls for him to return.

* * *

"Detective Reed, is there something I can help you with?" Chloe said, the large front door opening without his needing to knock.

"Yeah, I need to speak with him."

"Is this important? Mr. Kamski is very busy running CyberLife again."

"Tell him… Tell him _tempestas monitionem_. He'll know what it means."

She nodded and let him into the foyer, motioning for him to sit in the chairs. "I will be back momentarily, Dectective."

Not even three minuets later, Elijah Kamski rushed into the room, looking distinctly frazzled. "You haven't used that phrase in a very long time, Gavin."

"I haven't needed to until now." Gavin sighed, his elbows resting on his knees, his fingers steeled and supporting his forehead. "Mom and Dad are in danger."

"Are you sure?"

"We have either a mentor, mentee serial killer pair or a team killing human couples. Sometimes, they kill the young children from the relationship. Mom and Dad still live in Detroit, right?"

"Yes." Kamski's face had significantly paled with the news. "I'll call them today. I'm guessing you want to remain unnamed?"

"You know how they feel about my… life choices." The words sounded more emotional than he had intended. "They wouldn't listen if they think the warning came from me. Just tell them Connie or another android reported it to you or something."

"Sure… Thank you, Gavin." Elijah clapped Gavin on the shoulder. "I heard about the… incident outside your apartment. Do you want to stay here? We have top notch security."

"Yeah, thanks." Gavin nodded. "Beats staying at my partner's."

"Isn't your partner an android? A female android?"  
"Yeah, she is." Gavin sighed and leaned back in the chair. "She's not like Connie or any of the Jericho 'droids I've met. She's more of a person than all of them, but shes tacturn and efficent."

"She unsettles you." It wasn't a question.

Gavin said nothing. They sat in silence for a moment before the Detective's phone rang. Looking at the glass screen, he smirked. "Speak of the devil," he said, answering the call. "Reed, here."

"Where are you, Gavin?"

"I'm… with someone I trust. Why?"

"We have another scene." Her voice was clipped. "You might need to call your brother and make sure he's safe."

"Why would I…" Gavin's chest constriced with the realization. "My parents?"

"Yes."


	5. Chapter 5

"We'll be there soon." Gavin hung up the call. "Elijah, you don't need to make the call."

Kamski studied his face. "They're already dead, aren't they?"

Gavin nodded, scrubbing his hand over his face. "It might be pretty brutal. You don't have to come, but they might need to ask you questions. Obviously, I can't ask them." He took a deep breath, his chest still tight. "I don't know if I can handle it alone. They might have disowned me, but…"

"But they were our parents. Trust me, I wasnt too happy with them for their choices or they way they treated you, but I still loved them." Kamski stood as well, wrapping his arms around his younger brother's shoulders. "No matter wah, you don't have to go through this alone."

Gavin clung to his brother a while before leaning back. "We should go meet the team there."

Kamski nodded, and allowed Gavin to lead him to his car. The drive to their parents' house was quiet, neither one speaking. Pulling up to the scene, Gavin's breathing became ragged. This was his childhood house, where he grew up, where he played. He could remember the old tire swing that hung in the oak tree that still grew in the front lawn. He could remember that one winter the boys had talked thier dad into turning the backyard into a giant skating rink and the neighborhood hockey games they held.

"It must be weird coming back." Elijah murmured. "It certianly feels strange for me. The last time I was here, I had just released my first Chloe prototype. That was when they tried to pressure you into being an engineer like me."

"Yeah…" Gavin could still hear his father screaming at him that 'no Kamski boy would be a fucking pig'. He'd screamed back that his maternal great grandfather had been a Police Commisoner, and that he had every right to lead his life the way he deemed to do so. His father had said that 'your great grandfather was a good for nothing copper that was better off dead'. It was then that Gavin had decided he wouldn't be a Kamski, so he renounced the name and adopted his great-grandfather's surname. "Dad was pissed."

Elijah nodded. "Mom was scared. She hated it when you two fought like that."

"It seemed like that's all we ever did."

"Yeah, it sure did." Elijah sighed. "Well, it's now or never. Your partner is waiting for us."

Sure enough, when Gavin looked up, Nina was waiting for Gavin at the front door of the house. She looked like she was grieving, though why she would be baffled Gavin. Gavin nodded, shutting the engine off and stepping out of the vehicle.

"Gavin… Elijah." She nodded solemnly. "I didn't reveal that you two were related. But I think they figured it out." Nina led them into the house, and Gavin's hands curled into white knuckled fists as he stared at the last school photo his parents had gotten from him. It was his senior year photo. The scar on his nose was still fresh, his scowl softened by the small smile on his face.

"God, you really look like a dork." Elijah snorted. "Not that you don't look like a dork now." He bumped his shoulder into Gavin's with a smile.

"Youre one to talk, fucktard." Gavin jerked his chin at picture on the opposite wall. Kamski's hair was in a boy band style, his glasses resting on his nose, a huge smile on his face. "I can't believe they kept these on the walls."

"Yeah, we're burning both of these." Elijah cringed looking at his own senior year photo.

"That's not really what tipped them off." Nina's voice was quiet as she gestured to a picture of Gavin saluting at his academy graduation ceremony. He was dressed to the nines in his blues, the pristine white gloves on his face, his face a mask of seriousness and determination. "It's a very becoming image of you."

"Thanks." Gavin stared at the photo. "I thought Dad didn't want anything to do with my being a cop."

"He might not have, but Mom was proud of you. Dad was just controlling. He ran a tight ship, remember?"

"Yeah, I do."

Hank rounded the corner and paused. He looked distinctly green, and he wobbled on his legs. Gavin and Nina rushed forward as he stumbled. "Sorry, kiddos. I… I didn't realize I knew your mother. I can't see her like that. You shouldn't either."

"Take him outside to the wicker chairs, Eli. Please."

"Of course." The other man led the queasy lieutenant outside the home. Gavin turned and braced himself for the worst. What he was met with in the living room stunned him.

His parents were killed much like the MacMillians, their limbs torn from thier bodies, their heads separated from their necks. But now there was a large gash over thier noses, much like the scar on his own, and their organs, tongues and eyes had been removed. He held back the bile that threatened to escape, and continued on until he reached the back of the huge L-shaped sectional his parents had, he too grew faint.

His parents entrails, and other missing organs had been used to spell out a message. Remember me, Gavin? I didn't get to finish what I started. You'll see me again.

"Gavin? What does this mean?"

"The android that attacked me at 16? The neighbor android, his name was Lear, like King Lear… I was told they destroyed him. I guess they lied. He's coming back for me."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: ****I am so sorry. My health is still insane. But worry not! I am trying to keep updating, so here is a rather short chapter. I realized I jumped around with the perp, so I cleared that up, kind of. So, enjoy?**

* * *

"Don't you ever tell anyone about this," Gavin grouched, his arms tightening around the android's waist, taking comfort in her strangely warm body. "If you do, I'll fucking end you."

Nina laughed, her hand stroking over his hair gently. "Are you talking to me or all of us?"

"Yes."

Nina released the man, her smile gentle. "We should head to your brother's home, Detective." She pulled Gavin along by his hand, leading him to the car. "I'll drive."

* * *

The ride to his brother's estate was a blur. The three of them were silent, nothing passing between them. The whole evening, in fact, was a blur. Emotions and shock were a hell of a cocktail, especially to Gavin, who already had mental illness. Depression was creeping in, and his anxiety was going through the roof. It was like he was a teen again, right after Lear's attack.

A knock on the door to his room startled him.

"Gavin?" Nina's voice drifted through the wood separating them. "You didn't eat dinner with your brother, so I brought you some of it."

He stood and opened the door, silently inviting the android in. "Thanks."

She passed him, sitting on the bed, prim and proper, despite her chocolate hair tumbling loose down her shoulders, her curls on full display. She was wearing looser clothing, probably borrowed from Chloe. "Gavin, are you alright?"

He simply shrugged, shoving the chicken burger in his mouth as fast as possible, suddenly famished.

"... Will you be alright?"

Again, he shrugged.

After a few minuets of tense silence, Nina stood. "Well, then, I will leave you alone."

"Wait." He turned his face away from her, his eyes closed. "Please, don't leave. I can't… I can't stand to be alone right now."

She sat down again, watching the human before her. "Then, let's talk about the case?" When he nodded, she started talking. "We started throwing out the idea of a cult or partner, but what if Lear's unsuccessful decommission caused DID?"

"Dissociative identity disorder?" Gavin looked up sharply, his green eyes narrowing in thought. "That… that would make sense. It would explain the sudden escalation and deescalation of violence in the murders."

"Right. When one personality takes over, they cause the crime to differentiate."

"So, Lear has at least one other personality. But why come after my parents?"

"He could have two others. Think about it," Nina cut him off as Gavin opened his mouth. "He murdered the first two families, in two different ways, both completely unrelated other than they were a family of humans, not blended. We know Lear is still after you, and he put the childrens'... remains outside your apartment. Then, your parents are targeted."

"Okay," he admitted. "That does make sense."

"So far, we know that Lear is still after you, though for no known reason. The humans who owned him back the, are they still around?"

"No. The family moved after the dad died from cancer, I think. But that was so long ago."

"Ok." Nina's eyes became glassy as she ran over information in her head. "Connie said that the cult angle might still be viable if Lear gained the personalities from other 'wronged' androids." She shook her head slightly. "There isn't any precedence of DID in androids, though. I'll have to reach out to Markus and Simon about this."

Gavin nodded, rubbing his temples. "God, this whole thing is insane!" He snapped up, pacing angrily. "This fucking android already fucked up my life!"

Nina sat there, letting him rant. He yelled about Lear and the pain he was put through, his struggles with his family after the incident. Finally, when he calmed, he sat heavily next to Nina and leaned into her, inexplicably tired. "Gavin, no matter what, I won't let him hurt you again."

"Why?"

"I… I don't know exactly."

He turned to look at her, his eyes drawn to her full lips, soft and inviting. "Nina…" He whispered, slowly leaning towards her.

"Gavin…" She, too, leaned forward until their lips brushed together in a soft kiss. "I don't know what you're doing to me, but I don't think I could bear it if you were hurt again."

"I… I don't think I could either."


End file.
